Understanding School Satisfaction among Immigrant Students: The Influence of Cultural Dissonance and Cultural Self-Efficacy

<b>Purpose: </b>Cultural competence is crucial for the successful provision of speech, language, and hearing services. The purpose of this study was to assess and describe gains in cultural awareness, cultural competence, and self-efficacy after service-learning study abroad experiences and to examine whether gains in these areas are related to higher clinical skills ratings in speech-language pathology and audiology students.<b>Method: </b>Sixteen speech-language pathology and audiology students participated in two international study abroad experiences (Nicaragua and Malawi). Students completed a survey on cultural awareness, competence, and self-efficacy beliefs and journal entries before, during, and after their trips. In addition, the supervisors assessed the clinical skills of the students by the end of the trip. The researchers applied a mixed-methods approach to analyze data from the survey, clinical ratings, and journals.<b>Results: </b>Students showed significant increases in cultural awareness, competence, and self-efficacy. Gains in self-efficacy and cultural awareness were highly correlated with students’ clinical ratings in cultural competence as judged by their supervisors. Two main themes were identified from the journal entries: continuing community involvement and growth in cultural self-efficacy.<b>Conclusion: </b>Service-learning study abroad experiences help students develop cultural awareness and competence skills and increase their self-efficacy beliefs. Using a mixed-methods approach can help identify strengths and weaknesses in the training of speech-language pathology and audiology students with regard to cultural competence.<br><b>Supplemental Material S1. </b>Cultural Awareness and Competence Scales (CACS): SLP and AUD common items. <br>de Diego-Lázaro, B., Winn, K., &amp; Restrepo, M. A. (2020). Cultural competence and self-efficacy after study abroad experiences. <i>American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology</i>. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00101

Latin-American immigration has transformed Chilean schools into new multicultural scenarios. Studies about intergroup dynamics among students from different cultural backgrounds and their psychological consequences are still limited in south–south migration contexts. Literature has suggested that intergroup relations influence students’ satisfaction with school, and they could be improved by the development of competences to cope with cultural differences. This study aims to verify if cultural self-efficacy and its dimensions mediated the influence of prejudice on satisfaction with school, in a sample composed by N = 690 Chilean and Latin-American immigrant secondary students. Results showed that cultural self-efficacy reduced the effect of prejudice in satisfaction with school, in the cases of both immigrant and Chilean students. The dimensions of cultural self-efficacy in processing information from other cultures and mixing with different others make the difference. Findings’ contributions for the understanding of adolescents’ intergroup relations and psychosocial interventions at school are discussed.

School experience holds significant importance in the realm of educational environments in the 21st century. Thus, the aim of this study was to adapt the Perceived School Experience Scale for application among Azerbaijani adolescents and examine the interconnections between school experience, psychological distress, and school satisfaction. Data were collected from 1095 Azerbaijani adolescents (635 female and 456 male). Throughout the adaptation process, confirmatory factor analysis, assessments of criterion-related validity, and reliability were conducted. Additionally, the associations between school experience, psychological distress, and school satisfaction were explored through mediational analysis. The results from the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the questionnaire encompassed 14 items, featured three school-related protective factors, and displayed an acceptable fit. The scale has been found to have satisfactory reliability coefficients for both its factors and the overall score. Furthermore, the findings established that school experience exhibited positive correlations with school satisfaction while demonstrating negative associations with psychological distress. Finally, the results unveiled that psychological distress played a mediating role in influencing school satisfaction through the pathways of school experience. These findings collectively suggest that the Azerbaijani version of the Perceived School Experience Scale boasts commendable psychometric properties. Keywords: school experience, school satisfaction, psychological distress, scale adaptation

It is widely known that marginalized families of young children with disabilities have inequitable access to evidence-based practices within publicly funded systems of care, such as the Part C early intervention (EI) system. One factor contributing to this inequality is providers’ limited cultural self-efficacy, which can be defined as the confidence and competence to engage effectively with families from different cultural or linguistic backgrounds than their own. However, little is known about how to assess cultural self-efficacy specifically among EI providers. Therefore, this study aimed to adapt and validate the Cultural Self-Efficacy Scale in Early Intervention (CSES-EI), a scale to assess EI providers’ cultural self-efficacy when working with marginalized families. We used a modified Delphi method to adapt 32 items from an original scale into the CSES-EI. A total of 201 EI providers from diverse professional backgrounds completed the survey. Data analysis involved exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and multiple regression to assess the reliability, validity, and underlying structure of the scale. The CSES-EI demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = .91, ω = .94) and a three-factor structure accounting for 47.9% of the variance. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses revealed that EI providers emphasized family-centered coaching, cultural competence, and the need for flexibility when working with marginalized families. Findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive practices in EI and suggest that professional development targeting cultural efficacy is essential for improving service delivery with diverse populations. This validated tool provides a foundation for assessing and enhancing cultural self-efficacy among EI providers.

Background Poor peer relationships and peer victimization can enhance anxiety and diminish adolescents’ school experiences, whereas positive peer relationships and self-confidence can enhance school satisfaction. These experiences may be particularly relevant in physical education (PE) settings; yet, little is known about the roles that peers in PE play in students’ adjustment (e.g. self-confidence, anxiety, school satisfaction). Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine whether and to what extent (1) student perceived peer-relatedness support, and frequency of peer victimization (i.e. witnessing, victimization, and perpetration) explain social anxiety in PE, and (2) student perceived peer-relatedness support, and self-confidence in PE explain student perception of school satisfaction. Design This is a descriptive-analytic study utilizing multi-stage random sampling methods for recruitment. Participants included American high school students (N = 224; grades 9–12; female = 53.2% male = 36.8%) aged 14–18 years (M age = 15.25, SD = 0.97) who completed an electronic survey containing five total instruments to measure peer-relatedness support, frequency of peer victimization, social anxiety in PE, self-confidence in PE, and perception of school satisfaction. Results Results from hierarchical multiple regression revealed that peer-relatedness in PE was important regarding social anxiety experienced in PE (β = −.24; p = −0.29) explaining 7.3% of the variance, and even contributed towards overall school satisfaction (β = 0.26; p = 0.34) explaining 11.1% of the variance. Higher levels of peer-relatedness were associated with lower levels of social anxiety and higher levels of school satisfaction. Further, self-confidence in PE was positively associated with overall school satisfaction (β = 0.18; p = 0.30) explaining 1.9% of the variance. Students’ victimization experience in PE, whether as a perpetrator, victim, or witness, was not significantly related to social anxiety (β = 0.07, p = 0.14; β = −0.90, p = −0.16; β = −0.10 p = 0.06, respectively). Conclusion Students experiencing positive peer-relatedness and self-confidence in PE tend to be more satisfied with school and less socially anxious in PE. However, predictor variables only explained a small percentage of variance in the outcomes of interest, particularly for social anxiety, suggesting that additional research is needed to elucidate additional factors associated with school satisfaction and social anxiety given their key role in students’ overall adjustment. Nonetheless, this study suggests that the peer context within PE classrooms should be considered in future research and teachers’ classroom practices.

Adolescence is a formative period during which school and social experiences significantly affect psychological well-being. School satisfaction is considered students&#39; subjective evaluation of the quality of school life and can be related to the general concept of life quality. Life satisfaction has been described as “the global assessment of a person’s quality of life according to his or her own chosen criteria.” In the case of adolescents, life satisfaction is closely connected with the school experiences since school is the main place for learning and socialization. Thus, the proposed study is focused on investigating the relationship between school satisfaction and life satisfaction among high school students. The sample consisted of 700 high school students studying in government high schools in Kerala. Data were collected using a questionnaire through face-to-face interaction. The High-School Satisfaction Scale (H-Sat Scale) and the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) were the measures used to assess the variables involved. Correlational design was adopted to test the hypothesized relationship. Results showed the significant contribution of school satisfaction to the development of students’ overall life satisfaction.

Despite long-standing knowledge about child welfare clients' poor educational outcomes, we know less about these vulnerable young people's situation in school. This article addresses school satisfaction among upper secondary students who have been in contact with the child welfare services. These child welfare clients' school satisfaction is compared with their peers' satisfaction. The results from a survey indicated that the majority of child welfare clients were satisfied with school but that they were less satisfied with school than were their peers. The results showed that the association between school satisfaction and positive school experiences explains a large part of this difference. Among students who reported they were doing well in school, had supportive teachers and friends at school, the difference in school satisfaction between child welfare clients and others was small. Among students who did not report similar positive experiences in school, difference in school satisfaction between child welfare clients and their peers was more substantial. These results show that school can be a good place for child welfare clients, but that facilitating support from teachers, increasing opportunities for making friends at school, and working to develop the child welfare clients' academic performances are important as efforts to improve school satisfaction.

PurposeParent satisfaction with their children's school is an important issue in today's competitive educational environment characterized by school choice and government standards; however, few empirical studies address school satisfaction similarities and differences among parents from different ethnic groups. The purpose of this paper is to determine empirically similarities as well as differences in the factors important to parents from different ethnic backgrounds.Design/methodology/approachThis article presents a conceptual model of parent satisfaction with schools that was derived from the literature as well as researchers at the Harris Interactive Poll Organization. The article reports the findings from a survey of 27,605 African‐American, Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic parents from 121 schools in 27 school districts across the US. Regression analyses identified factors that contribute to overall school satisfaction among the ethnic groups.FindingsEthnic parental groups share attributes with respect to school satisfaction; however, the importance groups place on such school characteristics as parental involvement, school administration, and technology varies. Across ethnic groups, parents' school satisfaction was influenced most by their rating of school safety, followed by the school budget and teacher effectiveness. Factors more proximal to children's school experience (e.g. safety, teachers, and facilities) had greater influence on parents' school satisfaction than factors of lesser proximity (e.g. district administration).Originality/valueThe study furthers our understanding of parent's school satisfaction with their children's schools, especially with respect to ethnicity. The study findings have practical implications for school administrators who must first understand parents' school satisfaction across and among ethnic groups, set priorities, and take action to increase parent school satisfaction.

Prior research has documented meaningful differences between school performance of immigrant and native students. Multicultural education has been associated with academic failure of foreign students. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of a set of psychosocial variables on the perceived academic achievement of first generation immigrant adolescents from public secondary schools in Northern Spain. Results showed that 46% of the variability in foreign students’ perceived academic performance was explained by home-school cultural dissonance. We also explored the impact of acculturation orientation to separation, perception of discrimination from teachers, school adjustment and psychological well-being in academic performance. Any multicultural education context should take into account psychosocial adjustment, given its influence on academic performance of all students.

The transition to secondary school may negatively impact adolescents’ psychosocial and subjective well-being development. However, how subjective well-being develops during secondary school and how school contextual factors, including aspects of ability grouping and achievement composition, are associated with the development of subjective well-being still require clarification. This study examined two measures of subjective well-being, life satisfaction and school satisfaction, to investigate the development of subjective well-being during secondary school. Moreover, school context variations in the form of school tracks and school-level achievement were analyzed to examine the extent to which ability grouping and achievement composition were associated with the development of subjective well-being. A large-scale longitudinal German dataset with four measurement points from grades 6 to 10 was analyzed (Time 1: N = 1,841; Mage = 12.20, SD = 0.81; 48.4% female; 45.3% immigrant students). The latent growth model revealed that life satisfaction and school satisfaction decreased statistically significantly during secondary school, yet school satisfaction showed a temporary increase between the end of primary school and right after the transition to secondary school. School tracks did not statistically significantly predict the magnitude of the decline in life satisfaction or school satisfaction. Only school-level achievement composition significantly negatively predicted the decline in life satisfaction, suggesting that students in schools with higher levels of achievement composition had a greater decrease in life satisfaction than their counterparts in schools with lower levels of achievement composition. Taken together, these findings contribute to the knowledge of how life and school satisfaction develop during secondary school and the long-term associations between subjective well-being and school context factors.

Intercultural training and attitudes of physical education teachers towards immigrant students in Chile: A multi-stakeholder perspective

The international assessment studies of key competences, such as the PISA report of the OECD, have revealed that the academic performance of Spanish students is significantly below the OECD average. In addition, it has also been confirmed that the results of immigrant students are consistently lower than those of their native counterparts. Given the context, the first objective of this work is to observe the variables (support, control, school satisfaction, and learning environment) which distinguish between retained and non-retained native and immigrant students. The second objective is to check, by comparing the retained and non-retained native and immigrant students and separating the two levels, in order to find out which of the selected variables clearly differentiate the two groups. A sample of 1359 students was used (79.8% native students and 20.2% immigrant students of Latin American origin), who were enrolled in the 5th and 6th year of Primary Education (aged 10–11 years) and in the 1st and 2nd year of Secondary Education (aged 12–13 years). The measurement scales, which undergo a psychometric analysis in the current work, have been developed in a previous research study (Lorenzo et al., 2009). The construct validity and reliability are reported (obtaining alpha indices between 0.705 and 0.787). Subsequently, and depending on the results of this analysis, inferential analyses are performed, using as independent variables the ethno-cultural origin and being retained or not, whereas, as dependent variables, the indices referring to students' perception of family support and control, as well as the assessment of the school and learning environment. Among other results, the Group × Being retained/Not being retained [F(1, 1315) = 4.67, p < 0.01] interaction should be pointed out, indicating that native non-retained subjects perceive more control than immigrants, as well as the Group × Being retained/Not being retained [F(1, 1200) = 5.49, p < 0.01] interaction, showing that native non-retained students perceive more family support. Given the results obtained, our intention is to provide solid evidence that would facilitate the design of family involvement programs, helping to improve students' educational performance.

This study examined the educational experiences and achievements of immigrant students who entered the Canadian educational system from global war-zone (WZ) countries or regions experiencing extreme conditions of civil unrest and destabilization. As exposure to traumatic experience of various types is known to affect the well‐being of individuals, questions about the potential learning challenges that exposure to the traumatic events of war posed to students provided some of the impetus for this study. The research compared backgrounds, academic achievements, school experiences and self-perceptions among three groups of high school students: 245 students from WZ regions around the world, 272 non-war-zone immigrant students from other global regions and 276 Canadian-born (CB) students. Indices of academic performance, participation, engagement and self-rated competencies were obtained from a Statistics Canada database of 15-year-olds. The overall results of this study revealed that adolescent immigrant students from WZ areas around the world were participating successfully in the Canadian educational system. The findings indicated that WZ students were performing as well as other immigrant and CB students on many indices of scholastic achievement, and in some areas were surpassing them. As well, the results revealed that immigrant students in general and WZ immigrant students in particular were connected to and engaged with their school environment and their learning. A number of limitations of the study are discussed.

School experience is an important part of the life of children with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families. Research suggests that parents of children vary in their level of satisfaction with their child's school, but methodology and results have varied and no consistent reliable measure of school satisfaction exists. This paper presents a new brief measure of school satisfaction along with preliminary information on its psychometric properties. Parents (n=185) of children with moderate to severe DD completed a longer questionnaire that included the 9-item GO4KIDDS School Satisfaction Scale. The GO4KIDDS School Satisfaction Scale demonstrates high internal consistency reliability (α=0.93), good item-total correlations, and strong correlations with a single-item rating of school satisfaction. Results support reliability and validity, making the proposed scale valuable for survey research investigating school satisfaction among parents of children with DD.

This study investigated the relationships among demographics, parent and peer attachment, school satisfaction, and student engagement behavior in a 1-year longitudinal study of secondary-school students. Statistically significant cross-sectional differences in school satisfaction were observed, based on grade, but not on race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Level of school satisfaction did not moderate the relationships between parent and peer satisfaction and negative student engagement behaviors at Time 2 (controlling for Time 1). School satisfaction did account for significant incremental variance across all levels of parent and peer attachment relationships, although predicting a larger proportion of variance for withdrawal behavior than for resistance/aggression behavior. Adolescents' appraisals of their school satisfaction appear to be an independent predictor of their school engagement behaviors, regardless of the quality of their parent or peer attachment relationships. Limitations of the study as well as implications for future research and educational practice are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.